This Day in Top 40 History: August 3
Aug. 3 has been a significant day in music history throughout the years. Highlights include the announcement of Paul McCartney’s new band after the Beatles and the first-ever Newport Pop…
Aug. 3 has been a significant day in music history throughout the years. Highlights include the announcement of Paul McCartney's new band after the Beatles and the first-ever Newport Pop Festival. Read on for some of the most significant Top 40 moments from Aug. 3.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Aug. 3 has seen many important releases and chart-toppers:
- 1980: Olivia Newton-John, of Grease fame, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with her song "Magic." It held the top spot for four weeks.
- 1998: Kylie Minogue, aka the Princess of Pop, released her fifth remix album, Mixes. The album put an electronica dance spin on songs from her 1997 album Impossible Princess.
- 2014: "Weird Al" Yankovic, famed for his comedic music, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with his album Mandatory Fun. The album included parodies of songs by Imagine Dragons, Lorde, and Iggy Azalea.
Cultural Milestones
Looking back, it's easy to see what events shaped the music industry as we know it today:
- 1971: Paul McCartney announced that he had formed a new band, Wings. The group went on to have fourteen U.S. Top 10 hits, including "Band on the Run" and "Silly Love Songs."
- 2018: The soundtrack to the musical sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again began a four-week stint at No. 1 on the U.K. album charts. Similar to the original film, the soundtrack featured a host of popular ABBA songs that gained new life through the success of the Mamma Mia! films.
- 2019: Clairo entered the indie pop scene with her debut album, Immunity. Featuring hits such as "Bags," the album was considered one of the year's best by Billboard magazine.
Notable Recordings and Performances
There's something special about seeing an artist in concert before they start selling out stadiums:
- 1963: The Beatles made their last appearance at the Cavern Club in their hometown of Liverpool. By that time, the band had played almost 300 gigs at the club, but huge chart success meant that they had outgrown the venue.
- 1968: The first-ever Newport Pop Festival took place in Costa Mesa, California, drawing a record-breaking crowd of 100,000 fans. Tiny Tim, Jefferson Airplane, and The Chambers Brothers were all on the playbill.
- 2019: Ed Sheeran's Divide tour became the largest and highest-grossing tour of all time. He spent 893 days on tour, surpassing the previous record holders, U2.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The industry changes quickly, and it's important for artists to follow up on both opportunities and setbacks that arise:
- 1985: The Cars re-released their single "Drive" after it was used during the 1985 Live Aid charity concert. All the proceeds from the re-released record went to charity.
- 1992: Summer in Paradise, the 27th studio album from The Beach Boys, was released. It is the band's only album not to make the charts in either the U.K. or the U.S.
From the public announcement of an ex-Beatle's new band to record-breaking concerts, events from Aug. 3 paint a strong picture of the music industry throughout the decades.
